Dangerous Game
by DarkHououmon
Summary: Rated for blood. Sloan has escaped jail and now is stalking Eliza... Even with the help of her family and surprise Bree, can Eliza stop Sloan? FINISHED! added music video
1. Return

Disclaimer: I do not own Wild Thornberrys or any of its characters. ^^; 

Author's note: A chat with Iap64 gave me the idea for this story. :) As I watched the movie, I often wondered 'What would happen if Sloan escaped the authorities?' Well obviously, he would go after Eliza. Here's that story. I hope whoever reads this enjoys it. There's going to be more. This is merely chapter 1...almost like a prologue.   
  
  


DEADLY GAME   
Story by DarkHououmon   
  
  


Eliza Thornberry ran for her life. She pushed against all the bushes and thrustle that blocked her path. She seemed to breathe faster than any cheetah could, and her mind was racing, panicking. She looked behind her to see the attacker. She could see nothing, but knew he was out there somewhere.... 

"How could this be? I saw him get arrested 3 months ago!" She cried on terror. She never before felt this afraid...and vulnerable. All she could do was run. And run, she did. She looked ahead. _'There's camp!' _Her mind cried with joy. She hoped she could make it on time to get into the refuge of the comvee._ 'I might be safe in there.' _ Having made up her mind, she started to speed up her pace. Suddenly she felt an arm from behind grab her, and pull her back away from the camp area. She gave in a sudden gasp of horror, and looked up at the attacker through fear filled eyes. "Sloan!" Her voice was shaky and sounded frightened. Sloan snickered evilly, and had one of his arms pinning both of her arms behind her back. She struggled to escape his grasp, but he pulled out a blade. A different blade...and held it up against her throat. Even though he wasn't pushing hard, she could still feel the sharp edge of the instrument cutting into her skin....   


"So we meet again." The man's voice sounded dark...warning.... He looked down at the frightened girl, and looked satisfied by her fear. "You seemed surprised to see me, Eliza." 

"H-How did you....." Eliza began to say, her voice quivering in fear. 

"How did I escape? It was simple....but it's not of your concern, Thornberry!" When he spoke the name 'Thornberry', he said it in the same tone of bitter hatred that Bieterman did almost a year earlier. As Eliza attempted to escape again, she felt the blade press harder, and a thin line of blood trickled down her. The blade only scratched her, but it was enough to make her yelp in pain. Sloan laughed coldly, and started to drag her away from her camp. He said coldly, "There's no use trying to escape, little girl. I have you right where I want you! Now it's time to finish what I should have done a long time ago..." He laughed again, and his grip on her tightened to ensure she couldn't escape. 

_'How am I going to get out of here?' _Eliza could feel her heart beating 3 times faster. She desperately looked around for something to get a grip on, or use against Sloan. But how would she be able to do that? Her arms were pinned! She had to come up with another solution. _'If I don't get out of here, I'm dead!' _She quickly looked to the ground, and smiled slightly._ 'I hope this works...if not...then...' _She didn't want to think about it. She fixated her gaze on the man's feet. She lifted up her right foot and held it above Sloan's right foot. She hesitated, then stomped downward. She struck his foot with the force of a small anvil. The man screamed and let go of the girl. Seeing her opportunity, Eliza bolted straight towards camp, but to her shock, Sloan wasn't distracted for long...   


Sloan panted angrily as he dashed towards the escaping girl. "I'll get you, kid. You won't escape me this time! I'll make sure the job is done right!" He gave her the 'death' look as he started to catch up. 

Eliza was now started to panic even more. She had to get away from him, but how? All she could do was keep on running. She didn't want to look back. She was closing in. She was almost home free..... Suddenly she heard a swooshing sound, like something being thrown into the air. Then she felt something cold and hard hit her bare arm at an alarming rate. She was about to look to see what it was, but then she felt a powerful sharp pain in her arm, and she gave out a loud scream of pain. She looked up to see Sloan with a wicked smile on his face, then look at her arm. To her horror, Sloan had pressed the blade into her arm! He pressed harder and Eliza screamed louder. Blood started to seep out of the gash, and the grass began to get blood stained. A look of fear and pain was etched on Eliza's face. Sloan pressed even harder, drawing more and more blood from Eliza's arm. Finally, he quickly sliced down, leaving a long bloody cut on the girl's arm, bleeding excessively. A tiny pool of blood seemed to start forming on the ground. 

Eliza could only stare at the man, who pulled the blade back again, like he was going to strike again. The cutting edge of the blade was stained with her blood, red liquid dripping on the ground and on the handle. Some even got on the poacher's hand. She knew she was going to die soon unless something happened..... "ELIZA! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She was relieved when she heard that voice. It was her mother's. Eliza had been gone for quite some time. Her family must have been worried sick! She looked back at Sloan. He glared at the campsite, and, giving one last death glare at Eliza, took off, carrying the still bloody knife with him.   


The girl couldn't help but smile. _'I'm...still alive....' _She looked towards camp, and wondered how she would be able to explain the wound on her arm. She clutched it tightly, the blood seeping through her fingers. She winced in pain and in disgust as she watched her red blood drop to the floor. She slowly walked back to camp, cradling her injured arm. She left a trail of blood all across the camp area. _'I'm gonna have to explain this....' _ Eliza knew how worried and horrified her parents would be if they found a trail of blood leading right up to her. She opened up the door only to see her mother. She looked angry at her. "Where have you been, little missy? I thought....Eliza!" She gasped in horror. Her wide eyes locked onto the girl's arm. Blood was still draining out of it, and Eliza's hand was almost completely blood-covered. 

Marianne dashed towards her daughter, and gently pushed her hand off. Her worried look intensified as she saw how deep and long the gash was, and she looked Eliza straight in the face. 

"Who did this to you?" 

"Mom, it was like this...." 

"Did you find Eliza yet? I want to ask her something!" Debbie's voice was heard across the comvee. It sounded like she was trying to enjoy herself. She knew of Eliza's secret, so she wasn't surprised she wandered out alone at night. She was surprised that she didn't take Darwin with her. Debbie was wearing her usual green black jacket with the small orange shirt and baggy pants. She was holding a coke in her hand as she walked out towards the door. She got a good look at Eliza's arm and noticed that it was bleeding pretty bad. Debbie felt herself gasp suddenly, and she tried to say something. All she could manage was, "What...happened?" She pointed a quivering finger at Eliza's bleeding arm.   
  
  
  
  


Hours later, Nigel had wrapped a tight white cloth around Eliza's arm to help stop the bleeding. But that didn't make her feel any better. It wasn't the wound that bothered her. It was the fact that Sloan had escaped! Although Debbie was just as concerned, Marianne had sent her to her room. She and her husband wanted to talk to Eliza privately. She had confessed she was attacked, but she never stated who had done it. "I...I can't tell you..." She whimpered, staring at her bandaged arm sadly. Marianne stared at her with worry. "Eliza, whoever attacked you could come again. We need to know if you got a good look at him." "I did..but...." Eliza looked to the ground. _'I don't want them to worry about me....' _ Nigel placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up as he said, "It's alright, poppet. You can tell us." 

She sucked in a deep breath. "All right, I'll tell you." Her parents looked at her expectantly. Reluctantly, she said, "It was....Sloan Blackburn." She heard her parents give a collective of shocked gasps. They looked at each other fearfully. They just couldn't believe it. "That's impossible!" Marianne cried. "He was thrown in jail months ago!" Eliza nodded. "That's true, but somehow he escaped." Nigel tried to calm the hysterical Marianne. He was trying to control himself, too. "We have to do something. Eliza isn't safe here." She looked to the ground. The red-haired girl muttered, "I doubt I'm safe anywhere from that guy."   
  


Eliza had left the room. She decided to let her parents discuss what they were going to do about the current situation. Her chimpanzee friend was quick to greet her. "Hey Eliza!" Darwin scurried toward her. "I just had this lovely dream about...what? Hey, what happened to your arm?" She sat down on her 'bed', and held her arm. She winced because it still hurt. "I was attacked...by Sloan." Darwin screeched in horror. "WHAT?! Are you okay?" Eliza couldn't help but chuckle. She turned to her chimp friend. "Yes. I'm fine." She then remembered the scratch on her neck. She pressed her hand against her throat. She looked at her hand as she pulled it back. No blood....it must have dried up before she reached camp. That does explain why her parents hadn't noticed it before. It had scabbed up already. 

"Hey Eliza?" Eliza turned towards the entrance of the room. Debbie was standing there, looking in. "Would you mind if I come in?" Surprised by this gesture, the girl nodded. Debbie sat down at her side. "Are you sure you're okay? You were cut up pretty bad. Who had done this?" Debbie obviously didn't hear the conversation. She was busy trying to drown out her worries by listening to music. It didn't help her much, but it did calm her down a bit. "Sloan Blackburn, that's who." Eliza said, her voice dangerously low. She wasn't directing anger towards her sister, but towards Sloan. Debbie bolted straight up. "Sloan?! That poacher....He escaped!?" Her little sister nodded slowly, the same fear in her eyes as her sister had. 

Debbie was not prepared for that. She shook a bit. She remembered the last time they had encountered Sloan.....He had threatened to kill her, and almost killed Eliza twice! _'This is not good...How is Eliza going to be kept safe?' _She looked at her little sister with deep concern etched on her face. She suddenly remembered something that Sloan had told her. She remembered, while he was pulling her towards the edge, he had whispered something to her. It was so low that no one could have heard it. It was meant for her ears only.... "Eliza, Sloan...told me something. That day, when you lost your powers..." Eliza looked up at her sister curiously. "Really? Do you remember what he said?" "Believe me, this was not something you would forget so easily." "I'm all ears." Debbie lowered her gaze. "Are you sure you want to know?" Eliza nodded slightly, though she did look as if there was some reluctance in her eyes.   


Debbie took in a deep breath, and said, "When he pushed me to the ground after the wind storm kicked up, he said, 'If your little sister gets in my way again, I swear....even if it takes me a thousand times, I will kill her with my own hands! I won't let her survive me next time! You hear me?!' And then he took off, but he sounded very serious." 

Eliza did not want to hear that at the moment. She whimpered in fear. "He could come by here at night, and....and....." She shook terribly. Debbie wrapped her arms protectively around her sister. She wanted to make her stop crying in fear, but she knew nothing at this point would work. All she could do was let Eliza cry until she could cry no more. It hurt Debbie to see her sister like this. As her sister let out her emotions, the blonde looked up at the skies, then out of the small window. Her eyes narrowed to slits. Her mind was rattled with hatred and anger. _'I will make him pay!' _That was the only thought on her mind.....   
  
  
  
  
  
  


Meanwhile, further away, Sloan had stopped running, and was sitting at a river bank. He knelt down and held the blade underwater. He was cleaning it. The red liquid floated off and mixed in with the fresh water, running downstream. He straighten up, and stared at the blade. He saw his reflection in it. The blade glistened in the moonlight. He looked back in the direction he had run from. "I can't believe that brat got away!" He clenched his hand into a fist, and punched a tree in anger. "How could I have let her get away? I was so close!" His frustration caused him to tighten the grip on the blade, and almost caused it to crack open. Both of his hand shook in anger. 

"But no matter...." He said, smiling darkly, "I will get her next time." He laughed loud and long, his cruel laughter being heard over a mile away. He then turned towards the camp again, with only one thing on mind. Revenge...   


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

That's it for chapter one. Yeah....it was pretty short, wasn't it? Well I wrote this at night, and I had to get off early, so I had to make this short. Heh.... Yeah, Iap64 and I were talking, and this idea just popped into my head. A description of the blade will come sooner. Eliza never got a good look at the blade, but she did get a good enough look at the man to know it was Sloan. When I saw the movie, I often wondered what would happen if Sloan returned....but this story idea didn't occur to me until the conversation with Iap64. ^_^ Hope you enjoy this story! I may write chapter two soon, but I don't know. 


	2. Close Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Wild Thornberrys or any of its characters, as I stated before. Heh.... 

Author's note: Once again, Iap64 helped me out. I was confused on how to continue this, but she gave me a few suggestions that just might work. ^_^ Thanks, Iap! :) This chapter should be longer than the first one, but I'm not sure. Anyway, here's chapter 2 of "Deadly Game"! Enjoy!   


DEADLY GAME   
Story by DarkHououmon   
  
  
  


"I am not sure if that is going to work." 

"It's worth a shot." 

"What if he finds her there, too?"   


Eliza woke up hearing the voices of her parents in another part of the comvee. They were discussing on something. She yawned a little, and attempted to get up, but realized she could not. Not too good, anyway...her arm may have healed up a bit, but the flesh was still bruised. She hadn't fully recovered just yet. She looked to see that it was pretty early in the morning, and her sister, Donnie, and Darwin were still fast asleep. She decided not to wake them up, and got out of bed. She wanted to know what her parents were talking about, especially at this hour. She hid behind one of the corners and peered over. Her parents were standing near the front of the comvee, dressed in their pajamas. _'I shouldn't be surprised...who would be wearing clothes at 5 AM?' _Eliza sat down and listened intently. 

Marianne paced a bit, trying to explain to Nigel the situation. "Listen, even if we send Eliza to Boarding School again...what makes you think that Sloan won't find her there?" Nigel nodded in agreement. "I know where you're going at, but listen. Sloan didn't know that Eliza was at Boarding School...How would he be able to find her?" The woman had to agree on this part. For the past hour, they had mainly agreements, yet they still couldn't decide on whether or not Eliza should go back to Boarding School back in London. They did know she would be safe there for a while, throwing Sloan off track. But Sloan was a sly poacher; he could find out from someone and eventually track down Eliza. 

"I'm just worried, Nigel. Sloan, by what Eliza told us, is very sly and capable of..." She didn't want to finish the sentence. She buried her face into her hands while Nigel put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find a way." Then he just remembered something. He gently lifted up Marianne to her feet. "Come on....we have to tell the authorities about this. Maybe they can do something to help us out."   


Eliza pulled back into her 'room'. _'Sending me away again? Why?!' _But she knew all too well why. If she were sent away again, it would only be to protect her. But she knew Sloan better than any of them. It was like he had a scent for her....Like he could smell her like a dog. They were in the heart of the Amazons, and yet...somehow, he found her again. It was just like a nightmare come true! She curled back into her bed and decided to rest for a while. She thought it would be hard to sleep, knowing that a poacher was out there after her blood, but she quickly drifted off into a dark sleep....   
  
  
  


"Can you describe the man?" 

Eliza had been taken to the local authorities by her parents. She was the one in trouble, so she would have to explain everything. She had never told her parents much about the attack yesterday. Her mind was still haunted by it. She didn't know if she could bring herself to relive that whole experience. She was hoping Sloan was locked up for good...but he wasn't. He had somehow escaped...and somehow found her.... "He's tall and has a beard. He has blonde hair...." The person in front of her, a female authority, asked, "How tall would you say he is?" Eliza thought about this for a while. "I would say at least... 6 ft. I don't know." The woman nodded, scribbling down the words. Her parents stood by, holding hands. Her sister wasn't too far behind. Although she had that look on her face as if she were angry, a worried glance was still etched on her face. She sighed as she watched her sister being questioned. 

"Would you mind explaining what happened right before the attack? You told use what happened when you were chased. How did Sloan find you?" The authority woman got her pen and paper ready, waiting for an answer. 

Eliza shivered in fear. "D-Do I have to tell you?" The woman nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid you do. It's the only way we'll be able to help you." The girl looked to the ground, and let out a long sigh. "Okay......it happened like this."   


FLASHBACK:   


"Are you sure you don't want me to come, Eliza?" Darwin jumped up in surprise when Eliza said she was going out on her own. Just to look around, that is. Debbie was surprised too. As Eliza and Darwin talked to each other, all Debbie would do was wait. She could only hear chimpanzee grunts and such. She did know of Eliza's secret now, she had grown used to this kind of conversation. She knew from Darwin's loud cry that something was up. As soon as the two were finished with their talking, Eliza turned to Debbie. "Debbie, I won't be gone long. Don't tell mom and dad, okay?" 

The teenager rolled her eyes. "Sure...whatever. But I'm only stalling for 2 hours, and that's it!" "Thanks! Bye!" The younger girl zoomed out of the door. Debbie growled a bit. "You better keep your word, Eliza..." She sat back down inside the comvee. She did begin to worry, but shrugged it off. _'What's there to worry about?'_   


Eliza went off into the jungle. She loved the Amazons. Well, she actually loved any place in the world. She quickly came upon the Amazon River. It looked lovely, glistening like that. She let out a deep sigh and stared at it. She did feel something behind her, but thought it was merely the wind blowing against her back. She didn't have any second thoughts about anything bad happening. She vaguely remembered what happened 3 months ago, some of it. But all the bad stuff...she remembered so vividly.... She stood straight up and was about to leave. She probably wasn't so long at all. Only a couple of minutes. _'Heh...guess I didn't have to tell Debbie anything.' _ She stepped backward to turn around, but that's when she felt the sudden chill again. 

"Who's there?!" 

She whipped around, but saw no one. She shrugged her shoulders. But the tense feeling just wouldn't leave. Someone was there, and she knew it. "Come on, I know someone is there!" "Hehehehe...." A dark chuckle cried. The 12 year old suddenly gave a few shakes of fear. The voice seemed to come from all around the forest. The voice sounded sinister, menacing, strange, and yet familiar. She frighteningly looked in all directions, desperately trying to find the source of the voice. "Looks like we meet again, Eliza Thornberry!" The voice deepened and became more distinct. She could finally tell where it was coming from. It was coming from behind her. Eliza shifted her gaze towards her back, and saw a tall shadow standing before her. She turned all the way around, and squinted to get a better look at the figure. "Don't remember me? Well maybe this will refresh your memory!"   


With that, the figure started to step into the light. As light was shed on his face, Eliza gasped in horror and started to back away in fear. "No....no....i-it can't be! Not you!" She whimpered. Her entire body started to shake visibly, and the man smiled darkly. "I've come back to take care of some....unfinished business." Eliza choked out, "Sloan!" Sloan smiled darkly as he reached into his pocket. He slowly pulled out something long and metallic. A blade...a different blade...This one was larger than the one he had used before. Having a copper and wooden handle, it was easy to tell the base was woven. The part connecting the metal blade to the handle was some kind of copper material. The blade was curved and larger than the wooden handle of it. 

Eliza didn't stay. She gulped, and ran off towards the comvee. Sloan narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so....you can run but you can't hide!" With that, he turned and ran after the girl.   
  


END FLASHBACK:   
  


"And everything else you do know about." Eliza's eyes still registered that fear-filled look in them. "I still have no idea how he had found me." The lady nodded. As soon as she was writing down what Eliza had told her, she turned to the girl. "My guess is that since your parents have a website...." She looked at them as she said this. "....Sloan could have easily gotten into there and gotten the schedules. Perhaps that's how he knew." 

"But if he were in prison, how would he...." 

"They have computers in prison, you know."   
  
  
  
  
  


Sloan walked towards the campsite. In his hand was the glistening knife. _'I wonder where that brat is.' _He looked around and saw that no one was at the camp area. The comvee was still there, but one of the hatchets was open. Sloan walked around to try and find any footsteps. There were some, but they didn't lead very far. He saw a discoloration of the dirt and lowered his gaze towards the ground. A dark smile found its way on his face as he saw the reddish stain of the ground. _'She left a trail of blood...' _He looked on in satisfaction that he had managed to injure the girl enough to make her leave a bloody trail, but he didn't want to just hurt her. He wanted to kill her! 

"Hmmm...perhaps when they come back....I can have my revenge then. Oh yeah...that'd work! She'll never suspect a thing. Hehehe..." He chuckled to himself, and looked at the blade in his hands. For safety reasons, he placed it into his sheath. He walked up inside the comvee and crept near the end of it. He found a bunch of clothes just lying around. He grabbed a huge clump of it and spread it all over his body. _'I should be able to hide in here.' _Now....that the trap was set, all he would have to do is wait.... 

_'Eliza, I will make you pay....I will!'_   


"But mom...are you sure?" Eliza complained. "Yes, Eliza. It's the only way for you to be safe!" Her mother gently barked at her. Eliza knew that they were concerned for her safety, but this was getting a bit carried away. They had suggested that Eliza be sent back to the states to live with one of their relatives. It might throw Sloan off the trail a bit, but not for long. They knew that. Their plan was to keep relocating the girl, but they didn't know how long they could do that. There was the possibility that Sloan could still find a way to find her. Perhaps he would know that the best place she would likely go is the states. It was well populated, so finding her there would be extremely hard. But Sloan was a different kind of person. He might be able to track her down no matter where she went. At least by relocating her constantly, she would have some kind of chance. 

Eliza finally gave in. "Oh...alright. Should I go pack my things?" 

Of course, she knew the answer. Before her parents could say yes or no, she ran inside the comvee to get her things. While she was inside, her parents looked at each other worriedly. "Are you sure this is the right thing, Nigel? The last time we sent her away, she just came back, and almost....." She held back a few tears of sorrow. Nigel said, "It's the only thing we can do at the moment. If Sloan found Eliza here, she has to go somewhere else."   


Debbie sat down on the bench in the camp area, her face buried in one of the magazines. Darwin was inside the comvee with Eliza. _'Sometimes, I worry about those two.' _The teenager thought to herself. She had to admit, they were taking a risk on going into the comvee alone. Even though the family was here, there was just something bugging Debbie. She shrugged it off as if it were only a bad thought that clouded her mind. But it never truly left her. _'I hope they're all right.' _The magazine she was looking at was one of the newer teen magazines. She placed it down despite the fact that she loved that magazine stuff. Since the attack everyone was on the edge. Even Donnie acted a little differently. Instead of acting like a happy-go-lucky crazy child, he became a little quieter. Debbie took a last look at the comvee before turning away._ 'Maybe a little walk will cheer me up.' _The girl thought as she got up from the table and started to walk. But it was short lived....   
  
  


Eliza was about to grab her things when she noticed the strange pile of clothes near the corner of the room. "Wait....I don't remember mom putting those there this morning. How did they get here?" She walked a little closer to the pile, but then thought she saw it shake. She gasped, and backed up a little in surprised. _'Did that pile just move?' _She narrowed her eyes to get a better look. The pile didn't move again. But it was still a peculiar sight. When they had left, their clothes were scattered all over the place. No one was home when they had left with the jeep, which was still outside. So how did the clothes magically pile up like that? _'Something is wrong...' _Eliza thought as she decided to move in again. 

"I know this pile wasn't here this morning..." Eliza began. 

"That's because it wasn't!" A dark voice hissed from inside the pile of clothes. Eliza gave in a sudden gasp and backed up in terror. "Sloan?" The tall man stood up, emerging from the pile and carrying a dangerous look on his face. He reached inside the leather sheath fastened around his waist, and pulled out the glinting knife. Although it was clear he had cleaned it, a light shade of red was still on it. It was, indeed, the same blade that had cut her the night before. "I have warned you before. I always take care of all unfinished business." He raised up the blade and held it in front of his face threateningly. "And I intend on keeping that promise!" Eliza started to back away, the man following her every step. Soon Eliza could feel the hardness of the wall behind her. She desperately looked around. She was trapped.....   
  
  
  


"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"   


"ELIZA!!" Marianne screamed in fear. Debbie immediately stopped her walked and turned back. "Eliza..." She whispered as she ran back to join her parents as they bolted inside the comvee. Nigel was first in line, and he was about to ran towards Eliza's 'room' when he noticed a tall figure standing there. "You..." He said, pointing at the figure. Debbie and Marianne both gave quick gasps of surprise, but their shock was short lived as they noticed what he was doing..... 

"Eliza!" Nigel yelled. 

Sloan smirked, his grip on the girl just as tight as it was when he had encountered her the night earlier. Eliza was clearly struggling to get out of his grasp, but the man was just too strong. She looked at her family with fear filled eyes. She was about to say something, but then felt the sharp blade against her throat. "Don't any one of you come any closer." Sloan warned darkly, his blade against her neck. "If you do, I'll kill her!" He started to back up towards the side of the comvee. He didn't remove the blade from its current position. He wanted to make sure that her parents or sister didn't do anything to try and stop him. Her family didn't see any options either. If they didn't move, she would die. If they did move, she would die. They were at a dilemma. No matter what they did, it would end with the same result....   


"Let go of me!" Eliza managed to choke out as she tried again to get free. This time Sloan didn't do anything to stop her. He knew she wasn't strong enough to defend herself, so he pulled the blade away, and sliced into the comvee! The worried looks on Nigel, Marianne, and Debbie's face intensified as they watched Sloan slice a large hole right in the comvee. Eliza looked in horror as she realized just how Sloan was going to escape if her family blocked the exit. He gave one last thrust, and part of the yellow vehicle dropped to the ground. He then started to back up towards that exit. All her family could do was watch... "I said let me go!" She yelled again, this time managing to kick the man in the knee. The poacher yelped in pain, but it only felt like a pinch to him. Eliza knew she hadn't gotten him on the foot, but she thought this would've worked just the same. It didn't. It only made the poacher even angrier. 

"Why you little...!" Sloan grabbed the blade, and was about to plunge it into the girl, killing her off for good. But then he paused. Did he want to kill her now, or let her suffer? _'I did want to kill her, but I also wanted to make her suffer.' _He thought. He had the knife still raised above himself and Eliza, and his gaze never left her. He narrowed his eyes, and turned his gaze to the blade, and back to the girl. _'No...not yet.' _He smirked darkly as he flipped the blade around so that the hard handle was facing downward. Gathering up all the energy in his arm, he thrusted downward and struck Eliza's head! The girl's eyes widened in pain as she felt the impact against the side of her skull. Her head knocked sideways, and almost instantly the girls' eyes closed. Her body became limp. 

"No!" Debbie yelled as he saw the blade raise again. It wasn't clear if he was going to kill Eliza or just injure her again. But Debbie wasn't going to take that chance. Before her parents could hold her back, she ran towards the man and grabbed the hand that held the blade. "Jerk! Leave her alone!" She glared daggers at Sloan, who didn't seem effected by her threat. "You really think you can stop me?!" With that, she pushed Debbie to the ground hard, and threw Eliza on top of her. He stood over both of the girls. "Well, I guess I should finish off the both of you.."   


"NO!" A scream sounded behind him. 

"What the....ooh!" Something hard struck him in the back of the skull, knocking him out. He slumped to the ground outside of the comvee. The voice had been feminine, and right behind him, they saw someone standing there. Eliza's eyes slowly opened up, and when she saw who had saved them, she was more than shocked. Nigel and Marianne were no less shocked as she was. There was no mistaking her. The woman...Eliza had seen her before. But she never expected that she would come in save them. 

Eliza was still weak, but managed to say, "You....?" Debbie was still trying to say something, but the shock of the situation had made it hard for her to say anything. Instead, her sister finished the word she wanted to say...   


"Bree?"   


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Hehehehe....didn't expect this to happen, eh? Yes, Bree Blackburn came to save Eliza. Some fans of the movie might ask why. After all, Bree was on of the bad guys of the movie. Well, it's simple. If you watch closely, you can see that Bree never does anything to really hurt Eliza, and seems to have a soft side, unlike Sloan. So if there's anyone who would save her out of the poachers that were there, it would most likely be Bree. But some other poachers also are good volunteers. As I watched, I realized that Sloan was probably the only poacher who would kill a girl. The others were hesitate to start shooting the elephants because Eliza was down there. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry it was hurried through yet again. I'm still not used to writing Wild Thornberry fanfics. That could be why I'm not so detailed again. ^_^; 


	3. Old Aquaintance

Disclaimer: I do not own Wild Thornberrys or any of its characters, as I stated before. Heh.... 

Author's note: Finally! Finally! I finally wrote the next chapter. Took me long enough, eh? Sorry for the wait....It's finally here...I'm so happy! Thanks to MaxJ1800 and Iap64 for some help on this chapter. Thanks! ^_^ Oh, and this might be shorter than the others...I'm still not so sure. Oo; 

NOTE: The song used in this chapter is "Ahead of the Game" from the Yugioh english soundtrack. I don't know all the lyrics, so I took some guesses on them. I wanted to use a song for this chapter...and this one stuck in mind, though I don't think it has anything to do with the chapter.....OO   


DEADLY GAME   
Story by DarkHououmon   
  
  
  
  


Night fell on the camp area. All was silent....except for the surprised collection of gasps that had sounded out a few hours earlier. Inside the comvee, Bree knelt down in front of Debbie and Eliza. Debbie had been down there trying to coax Eliza to stand up, but the girl refused. Eliza looked at Bree, still a bit shocked. Bree saw this, and said, "Surprised to see me?" The girls nodded. "Yeah...I'm not surprised. I heard Sloan was here, so I came." The teenager grumbled a bit. "Yeah? How do we know? Eliza said you tricked her once before." Bree looked on sadly. "I understand. I'm sorry for that." She gets up and begins to tie up Sloan. She couldn't risk having him wake up and try to do that murder spring again. "This should hold him....I hope." 

Marianne blinked. "You hope?" The poacher let out a sigh. "No one ever tied up Sloan before...so I have no idea how to restrain him. He's been cuffed before, but not tied up." The poacher took off her gloves she was wearing, and stuffed them in her jacket pocket. She gives a quick glance at Eliza, and then looked at Nigel. "I would suggest your daughter rest for a while. She had a pretty nasty blow to the head." Nigel nods. "Alright. Deborah?" Debbie's head perks up. "Would you be so kind as to escort your sister to her bed?" 

**_Not so fast_**   
**_Think you've won?_**   
**_I'm here to say_**   
**_We're far from done!_**

**_Just you wait_**   
**_Then you'll see_**   
**_The game's not over_**   
**_It's up to me_**

"Okay." Debbie looked at Bree, a little bit of suspicion on her mind, then slowly picked up her sister. "Debbie, I can walk you know." The blonde slowly shook her head. "You know what Bree said. You've got quite the bump, sis." Eliza groaned in protest, but gave in to her older sister's insistance. Nigel, Marianne, and Bree watched Debbie carry Eliza out from view to the lower sector where the bedroom was. After they were out of sight, Marianne gives a stern look at Bree. 

"I don't want you to..." Marianne began. But Bree gently interrupted. 

"I understand, Mrs. Thornberry. You have every right to be mad at me. But I can assure you that I never intended on harming any of your daughters. It's Sloan who had tried to hurt them." Bree looked to the ground, then met the parents' gaze again. "The other poachers who were with us...even they were horrified that Sloan ordered them to fire upon the elephants while Eliza was still down there..." 

Nigel was a bit disturbed by this. "So you mean to say that Sloan was the only one who...." 

The female poacher woman nodded. "The only one who seemed to be willing to harm a child." She places both of her hands behind her back. "I just hope you don't mind if I stay a couple of hours...to you know....explain some things?" Nigel and Marianne exchange looks of uneasiness, then turned back to Bree. The man spoke. "Just as long as you won't do anything to harm us or our family." A nod was his answer. "Done deal." 

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

Eliza didn't like the idea of having to be carried to her bed. But her sister kept saying that she might still be too hurt to do any walking. Debbie walked closer to the beds. She set Eliza on the floor first, then pushed back the covers on the girl's bed. She then picked up Eliza again. Debbie settled her down in her bed, and pulled the covers over. She gently stroked Eliza's hair, and said, "Try to get some sleep, little sister." She smiled gently. Eliza smiled back, and curled up in a ball. Debbie stayed down there for a couple of minutes watching her sister sleep, and then decided to walk back up. _'I still don't know if we should trust Bree.' _She took one last look at Eliza, then walked up the ladder. She saw that her parents were talking to Bree. _'Where's Sloan?' _Then she smacked herself mentally. Of course...Sloan was still tied up and was put in a corner. 

Nigel was saying, "You were going to tell us why you came....weren't you?" He then noticed Debbie walking up the ladder. "Oh, hi, Debbie. Bree was just going to tell us why she..." "Yeah, so I heard." Debbie grumble angrily. Bree sadly looked at her, then clamped her hands together. 

"Well, it started like this. It wasn't long after Sloan and I were arrested for poaching reasons. We were being driven off when I heard Sloan mutter something. I asked him what he said, and he said, 'Death to her.' I was shocked, but paid him no mind. I decided that maybe a little time in prison would help him cool off. Unlike some poachers, I can take time in jail pretty well. Time in prison was okay for me, but a nightmare for Sloan But somehow, he managed to behave very well, and did impress some of the officers, I might add. I hardly ever saw him at night, though...he just seemed to disappear. Oh...I almost forgot...we were taken to a prison which, for some odd reason, had every 2 cells be connected. So Sloan and I had our own cell, but we could visit each other for about an hour. I could see him during the day, but at night, when I would go to his cell, he's not there. I'm thinking that he may have gotten the guards to let him go for a walk in the outdoor sector. I mean, they do allow that. Finally, one night, I couldn't take it anymore, and I walked in at dusk. It wasn't dark yet, and I slowly opened up the door." 

**_I create the games_**   
**_We play_**   
**_Every detail is marked_**   
**_To C_**

**_You have luck_**   
**_You might have skill_**   
**_But when you lose_**   
**_You see that I have the will_**

She sighed, then continued, "Sloan was still in there, but he had never left his cell those past nights. He was hiding in some kind of secret chamber he discovered. I watched him open it up, but this time he didn't close it, as he probably had done in the past. Since no one saw him do it, maybe he thought that there was just no reason to. Anyway, he was writing something on a piece of paper. I slowly crept up on him, and was a bit determined to know what he had written. I was being careful not to be seen or heard. As I peered in closer, I could make out some of the words he was writing...with his own blood. I winced at the sight of it, but was even more disturbed by what he was writing. It seemed to be a revenge memo of some sort. He was writing 'Tonight's the night that I shall get my revenge. I've waited too long for this moment. I gotten a couple guards to trust me, and they are willing to pay for my parole. Once I get out of this joint, I will track down and kill that Eliza child. Because of her parents' website, I could easily track her down. I will not only kill her, but make her suffer as well!' There was more than that, but it's too gruesome.....You don't want to know what the other stuff was." 

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

Bree shook her head, thinking about what other horrible things Sloan said, but decided to attempt to finish what she started to say. "I made the horrible mistake of making a gasp. Sloan's head perked up, and he turned around. He was equally surprised to see me. I had expected he make a big fuss of how I was spying on him and all, but he seemed rather happy I was there. He said, 'Hello, Bree. Checkin' out my plan for revenge?' I blinked at him in surprise, and had asked him 'Why do you want revenge?' He glared at me a bit, then turned to look at his paper. He gritted his teeth, as though frustrated at a dark memory. He said, 'I just can't stand the fact that we were beaten by one little girl!' 'We weren't beaten,' I tried to reason with him, 'We were caught. And besides, Eliza's just a child.' He glared at me again. He said, 'Who's side are you on?' Not much happened after that, except we did have a huge argument. He attacked me...left a scar on my neck." 

Bree slowly pulled down her collar, and revealed a small scar snaking down her neck. 

"I was lying on the ground trying to control the bleeding. I could only watch as Sloan was let out. The guards must've thought that I had accidentally cut myself and was trying to fix it myself. They didn't know that Sloan had cut me...I got word not too long ago that Eliza had already been attacked. Horrified, I told the officers of what was going on. They agreed to let me out, but only for a short time. They want me to help capture Sloan, but since I'm a poacher, I still have to do some more time in jail. I'm told not to reveal how I got out here....so everything else you should know." 

**_All my technology_**   
**_All my smarts_**   
**_My creativity_**   
**_Will rip you apart!_**

**_My tranquility_**   
**_Trying out cheats_**   
**_All my secrets_**   
**_Hey, I'll be in shape_**

Debbie, Marianne, and Nigel seemed to be a bit surprised and disturbed by this story. Marianne asked, "Is there a reason why we wouldn't want to know what other things Sloan had said?" Bree sighed. "Yeah....it was....R rated material...okay? I just...don't want to remember any of it." She rubbed on of her hands against her other arm. 

The blonde teenager grunted. "It still angers me that Sloan managed to find us so easily." "Yeah...he's terrific at sneaking in places and such. And as Eliza may know, he's also a master of disguising his true colors...as I was." She looks up at the clock. "I think I should go now." Nigel nods his head. "Yeah, wouldn't want to make those officers think you've tricked them...Maybe you should take Sloan along with you?" Bree took out her gloves again and slipped them on. "Oh yeah, sure." She turned to Debbie, and asked, "Would you mind helping me carry him outside?" "Oh sure, no problem." The girl responded back.   
  


Eliza stirred in her bed, tossing back and forth. She was in the midst of a nightmare. Sweat poured from her forehead, and soaked the bed. She finally sprung awake. She seemed terribly frightened. "What was that about?" In her dream, it was like she and Sloan were fighting one-on-one...but everything else that happened as a blur. She gave a small yawn and stretched out a bit. She faintly heard Bree and Debbie's voices from the upper sector of the comvee. She could hear their footsteps. _'They're probably going to get Sloan or something.' _She closes her eyes again. 

Something chilled her spine right then. Not physically...mentally. She sits back up again, and looks around frantically. _'Must be my imagination.' _She knew she had been wrong about that before, but she had to be right this time. Sloan was tied up. What harm could he do? But that feeling of uneasiness wouldn't leave her mind. She turns on the light, and looks around. Nobody was there, of course. _'But why do I get this feeling I'm being watched?' _She rubs her eyes, turns out the light, and goes back to sleep. In the corner, a pair of eyes are watching, and waiting for the right moment.... 

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

Debbie and Bree walked towards the corner to where Sloan was supposed to be. "You're going to take Sloan back to jail, right?" The poacher nodded, and smiled at the blonde. "You better...I don't want to..." "I know....and I understand." She looks at Debbie with a concerned look on her face. "I may be able to hold him off, but not for long. You'll have to take Eliza to the hospital to remove..." "WHAT? The hospital?" 

Bree Blackburn nodded sadly. "Yeah...I'm afraid that.....well that morning your sister and you had a nasty encounter with my husband and I....earlier Sloan had tied Eliza up, but not before temporary knocking her out. She came to while she was being tied up. While she was out, I saw Sloan inject something into her system. I thought it was poison at first, and protested. But he said that it was a tracking device. I thought nothing of it until now." Debbie stopped in her tracks. "You mean that the reason Sloan knows where Eliza is is not only because of the website, but because of some tracker?" The black-haired woman nodded solemnly. "Yes. I'm afraid it's true. That tracker gets a lock on Eliza within a radius of about 100-200 yards. I've tried to intercept it, but nothing I did worked." 

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

They walked down the hallway. They didn't say much after that. As they got closer to where Sloan was left, Bree knew something was wrong. "Something's not right...I didn't tie him that loosely...." She pointed ahead. Debbie looked, and saw it too. One part of the rope used to tie Sloan Blackburn was on the ground, and didn't seem to be tight in anyway. "You're right...you don't suppose..." Suddenly they felt nervous. They looked at each other, and then back down to the direction of the rope. Bree's hand shook in anticipation, and she dashed towards the area. Debbie growled to herself, and then ran after Bree. 

"Slow down!" 

Suddenly Bree stopped dead in her tracks. Debbie gasped and tried to slow down, but ended up tripping over something. She hit her face hard in the ground, and struggled back up to her feet, and brushed herself off. "You would've have warned me..." But her voice trailed off as her gaze fell upon the sight they didn't want to see. The ropes that had been used to tie Sloan were now tangled across the floor...and Sloan was nowhere to be found. 

"Oh my god...." Debbie said under her breath. 

"This is not good..." She heard Bree say. 

Then they both remembered something else. No one was down in the lower sector, which meant that Eliza was open to attack. They glanced at each other, and Debbie ran towards the ladder. Bree followed her, since she may need some help. They quickly climbed down the ladder and looked at the scene in horror. 

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game_**   
**_And nothing will_**   
**_Be the same!_**

The place was a total mess. Both beds were oveturned. Curtains were ripped open. A large hole could be seen right across from where they were. It looked like a tornado swept through the place. Debbie looked horrified to see that her sister was missing. "Eliza!" She screamed in agony. "Debbie?" Came a small voice. Debbie was a bit surprised to see that Eliza was indeed okay. But the poor child was shaken up. She ran to Debbie and hugged her older sister, and started to cry out of fear. "Oh, Debbie! It was horrible! Sloan tried to attack me again...Only this time he didn't have the chance to even threaten me...Darwin came in and attacked him. But he was hurt...." She pointed in the direction of where Darwin was. He was still alive, but bleeding pretty badly from a cut on his right leg. 

"Where's Sloan?" Bree asked softly. 

Eliza pointed to where the hole was. "He ran out there. He told me that he'd be back...oh, Debbie, I've never been so scared in my life!" She hugged Debbie harder. Debbie found that she had a little hard time to breathe, but she hugged her sister back nevertheless. She picked up her younger sister, and turned to Bree. "We have to tell my mom and dad..." Bree nodded, and the two climbed back to the top sector of the comvee. They knew that the longer they wait, the further Sloan may have lured away... 

**_'Cause I am_**   
**_Ahead of the game...._**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Yep....pretty short eh? Well I just wasn't so into this chapter. Not much action in it ya know? Well this chapter did reveal why Bree came by to help, doesn't it? Okay so maybe it doesn't give a good example. But I'm trying my best here, okay? Well the next chapter may take awhile. Not that it's long or anything....I'm just trying to make this story only 4 chapters long. I don't want it too long....ya know what I mean? 


	4. Face Your Fear

Disclaimer: I do not own the Wild Thornberrys or the movie. They are owned by Klasky-Csupo and Nickelodeon.   
Author's Note: SORRY SORRY SORRY it took me SOOOOO long to get this finished! It's been..what...4 months since my last update? Sheesh...sorry again. I was just stuck on what to do for the last chapter. Jungle Book 2 inspired me to continue the story. Some scenes are based on the movie. I kinda rushed into this...and the chap's not as good as I wanted it to be....I hope you like it anyway. 

Here's the final chapter of Dangerous Game! 

Another note: I decided to add the lyrics to "You Can't Take Me" to this chap. It kinda fits Eliza in the chapter somehow. Though I don't know how. I just like the song, actually. XD   
  


DANGEROUS GAME   
Story by DarkHououmon   
  


"Sloan escaped?!" Marianne exclaimed, obviously horrified. Bree nodded slowly. "Yes. Eliza says he took off into the jungle." She turned her head away, then looked back. "We have no idea on how to find him." 

Marianne and Nigel had just gotten word of the horrible news. They were discussing things in their own room. They didn't hear any sounds other than themselves. They didn't hear Sloan creeping down the ladder. Marianne clutched her husbands hand tightly. Nigel placed a hand over her hand, then turned to Debbie and Bree. "What do you advise we do, Bree?" The man asked calmly, despite the terrible situation. The woman shook her head. "I don't know." She admitted, now completely out of ideas. 

Eliza knelt down by Darwin's side. The cut on his right leg was quite deep, but not as bad as the cut on her left arm. _'You didn't have to do that.' _She nudged the chimpanzee to see if he would react. Nothing. The chimp was out cold, but alive. She looked around and saw some spare white bandages, and covered the wound with it. _'This should help the bleeding stop.'_ She hoped that it would. She then heard people talking, and walked outside of the Commvee, where her parents, Bree, and sister were. 

"There has to be something we can do!" 

Nigel was sounding even more determined than usual. His sudden outburst surprised everyone, including Bree Blackburn. Eliza walked up and stood next to Debbie. "What's going on?" She whispered softly to her sister. "We're trying to discuss what we should do to get Sloan." 

Eliza Thornberry shuddered at the mere mention of the name. She was still terrified by the 3 attacks she had recieved from Sloan within a short while. He must be really determined....really desperate if he kept coming back to get her. He just won't give up! Then Eliza did feel anger rise up inside of her. She did know that Sloan also attacked and injured Darwin. The primate was still alive, but she didn't know if he'd survive. _'He can't get away with that!'_ Her mind screamed. 

She seemed to be in deep thought. She could no longer hear anyone around her, nor could they get through to her at the moment. They continued their discussion while Eliza floated in her own mind, thinking of a way to stop Sloan herself. Sloan might come back to harm her family. She couldn't let him do that! He already hurt Darwin. _'There's only one way to get Sloan as far away from here as possible.'_

She knew the answer. She knew what she had to do. 

She had to get the poacher to chase her. 

"Why don't I suggest something?" The small girl spoke up. Everyone stopped their talking. They turned their heads and then all eyes were on her. Her mother asked, "What is it, honey?" Gently rubbing the injured arm with her right hand, Eliza suggested, "Sloan is after me...so to get him away from here..why don't I get him to chase me?" She released her arm. "That shouldn't be too hard." 

"NO!" Marianne exclaimed as she grabbed her daughter. "You can't do that! I don't want to risk losing you." She gave a stern and worried look at Eliza, who started to feel some guilt arise in her heart. Bree nodded. "She's right, kid. You can't take on Sloan by yourself. You could be killed!" The young girl nodded her head in understanding. She did understand why they were worried. But she had made her decision. 

She walked out in the middle of the campsite. "When I say so, run!" She hissed the warning sharply, then looked around, trying to see Sloan anywhere. "Eliza!" Debbie cried from a few feet away. "You don't have to do this!" But the young girl just ignored her._ 'I know I shouldn't be doing this...but either I face Sloan now or he'll continue to stalk me.'_

"Show yourself, Sloan!" She shouted. 

Almost on cue, the poacher emerged from the thick jungle bushes in front of her. She backed away a few steps, but stood her ground. She turned to her family and Bree. "RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!!" The poacher drew closer, and the family stayed put. Nigel shouted back, "We aren't going to leave you!" Eliza frantically looked back at the poacher. He was getting closer! "JUST RUN! DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME! I'LL BE FINE!" Sloan leapt at the girl, and Eliza dodged just in time as the others reluctantly ran into the jungle. _'They were supposed to drive away...'_ But Eliza couldn't think about that now. 

"So you're braver. Interesting." Sloan Blackburn pulled out his copper knife. "But that isn't going to save you." The 12-year old redhead could feel all the fear and terror coming back to her. She knew she had to run, but she needed a short distraction. Gathering all the courage she could at the moment, she knelt down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it in Sloan's face. The man screamed as the girl took off running. 

**_You can't take me, yeah!_**

The man recovered rather quickly, and started to pursue the girl, death on his mind and thoughts. 'That girl will die! I will see to it!' He snarled mentally, continuing to chase Eliza through the jungle. _'Once I get my hands on her, she won't have the strength left to breathe...'_ He smiled evilly at this. The chase continued.   


The thunder increased and the lightning started to flash. Eliza could feel the rain hitting her and dripping down her body as she ran through the Amazon forest. She struggled through all the foliage and trees and bushes that lay before her, blocking her path. She didn't know what has become of her family. _'I told them to run.'_ She remembered. Hopefully they had gotten away. She had literally given her life for them. Although scared to death, she knew she had to lure Sloan as far away from camp as possible. She could feel her heart beat its hardest, trying to keep up with her incredible speed. But the burning sensation in her throat was getting the best of her. She could feel herself cough and wheeze, then started to slow down a bit. 

"YOU WILL PAY DEARLY!!!" A horrible voice shouted from behind her. She turned around, and screamed when she saw Sloan Blackburn closing in! 

"Go away!" She yiped, and quickly ran again. She looked ahead. She could see what appeared to be some sort of old temple. It was pretty similar to the one she'd been in with those jaguars. She sped up as best as she could, but it felt as if she was going to collapse on her knees any second now. She ran up towards the temple, but then she skidded to a stop. A few rocks fell...fell into a large crevice which surrounded the entire temple! She looked down, and noticed that there were large sharp rocks jutting out from the ground below. If she fell she'd be diced! 

**_Gotta fight another fight_**   
**_I gotta run another night_**   
**_I'm getting out, check it out_**   
**_I'm on my way and I don't feel right_****__**

**_I've gotta get me back_**   
**_I can't be beat, and that's a fact_**   
**_It's okay, I'll find a way_**

Eliza looked behind her. Sloan had stopped running, and was now stalking her, slowly. He grinned deviously as he approached her, the new knife in hand. He readied it for the blow. Eliza shook with fear, and frantically looked around for an exit. She gazed at the temple, and a look of determination locked on. She knew she had to reach that other side, if she wanted to live. She drew in a deep breath, and leaped over the crevice. She barely reached the other side, but was still able to grab the very edge of the rock emerging from the dirty grass. She whimpered as her feet slipped from her footing. With a few troubled breaths, the young girl managed to pull herself onto the ground. She turned around, and smirked at Sloan. 

"Oh, you think that's gonna help you?" He asked coldly as he backed away from the edge, then came running back at an alarming rate. Eliza screamed and jumped back. She ran into the temple, which didn't have any roofs. This was a disadvantage; not many dark places to hide. She looked back for a second, then ran off into one of the few dark places there was. Sloan shook himself as he reached the other side. He didn't have any trouble clearing the jump. 'A baby could have done it.' He smiled evilly as he entered the temple, and stared at the rock formations that surrounded him and the girl. 

**_They ain't gonna take me down_**   
**_No way!_****__**

**_Oh, yeah..._**

"No matter where you go...." 

Eliza could feel herself panic. She never felt so scared in her life. The fear was rising. She looked around her hiding spot, and peered through a crack in the wall. She had chosen one of the openings in the wall to hide in. If Sloan found her she'd be trapped! But it was a risk she had to take...Better here than out there in the open. 

"No matter where you hide...." 

She pressed herself back into the wall of her hideout, trying her best to stay out of sight. 

**_Don't judge a thing_**   
**_'Till you know what's inside!_**   
**_Don't push me, I'll fight it!_**   
**_Never gonna give in!_**   
**_Never gonna give it up, no!_****__**

**_If you can't catch a wave_**   
**_Then you're never gonna ride!_**   
**_You can't come uninvited!_**   
**_Never gonna give in!_**   
**_Never gonna give it up, no!_**

"I will catch you." Sloan snarled in frustration. He hadn't seen the girl yet, but there wasn't that many places to hide to begin with. He kicked a rock, which bounced off the wall and skidding about 4 ft away. He gripped his knife tightly, and continued to search for the small girl._ 'The brat couldn't have gotten far...' _He shifted his eyes constantly, and was as alert as possible to any sudden movements or sound. Eliza knew she hadn't a chance of escaping. This may be it. 

She pressed herself harder against the wall. She did her best not to make a sound. She watched Sloan circling the entire small temple. She sucked in her breath as an attempt to make herself quieter still. One wrong move, and it's all over. She peered through the small crack. She could not be seen. She could see Sloan headed her way. The poacher, snarling, looked around the area. He turned and walked away. "She couldn't have gotten far. Where is she?!" He formed a fist with the other hand. Eliza lowered her head in fear. She pressed the side of her head on the wall in front of her, trying to hear what the man was saying. But she leaned to hard....and the wall started to crack. 

Eliza screamed loudly, catching the poacher's attention, as the rock, obviously very worn out, crumbled before her, and revealed her right to Sloan. She gasped, and took one step back. She looked at her arm, still baring the white bandage she recieved only a couple days ago. Sloan glanced at the bandage, and an ominous smirk marked on his face. 

**_You can't take me_**   
**_I'm free!_**

"Isn't this ironic?" He asked coldly. He advanced on the girl quickly. Eliza backed up as fast as she could, but soon fell into the rocks. She panicked when her hand got stuck between 2 large rocks. She struggled to pull her hand free, but it was useless. It was wedged in too tightly. She widened in her eyes in fear and watched Sloan nervously as he stood above her, a triumphant look on his face. "You run here to hide, yet I find you." He laughed, and raised up the knife. Eliza shook violently, horrified as Sloan began to drive the knife down. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the sharp blade to penetrate her skin. 

But it never came... 

"Leave my sister alone!!" A teenaged feminine voice shouted out loud, then a blonde teenager grabbed Sloan's raised up and attempted to pull him back away. Angry, Sloan used his other arm to elbow Debbie hard in the stomach. She yelped and fell to the ground. She gasped, looking up at the angry poacher. "You little....." He hissed threateningly and snatched the teen by the arm. "DEBBIE!" Eliza screamed, watching in terror as Sloan pointed the knife at her big sister. Sloan had an evil smile on his face. He knew just what to do. This same trick worked before on her, and it will work again. _'She won't let anything happen to her big sister...even it if means her own life!'_

**_Why did it all go wrong?_**   
**_I wanna know what's going on!_**   
**_What's this holding me?_**   
**_I'm not where I'm supposed to be!_**

"SURRENDER, OR SHE DIES!" Sloan screamed, and the knife was dangerously close to Debbie's neck. She struggled to get free. "Eliza!" She screamed in terror, like she had when she was nearly thrown off the cliff. 

Thoughts rang through Eliza's mind. They never did register completely. She was becoming confused with a million thoughts. She knew she had to save Debbie, but she didn't want to lose her life in the process. _'What am I going to do?!' _She cried desperately in her mind. She looked up at Sloan, scared, then she looked at Debbie, who's life was in danger....again...because of Eliza herself. She couldn't have anyone else have their lives put in jeopardy on her behalf. She just couldn't! She knew she had to save Debbie. But the sight of Debbie about to be hurt....She could feel rage filling in her heart. A white hot anger rose inside, and she did something she never thought she'd do. 

She pulled her hand free of the wedged rocks, and jumped forward. Startled, Sloan let go of Debbie, and she fell to the ground. Debbie looked up from her landing spot, and watched in astonishment as Eliza grabbed onto Sloan, who in turn grabbed both her arms to try to pry her off, but Eliza just wouldn't budge. She started to kick Sloan in the back as hard as she could. The man's eyes widened in pain, but narrowed them as his face turned red with anger. He finally grabbed Eliza by the back of her shirt and forcefully pulled her off. She screamed in pain as she was shoved roughly into the rocky surface below. 

**_I gotta fight another fight_**   
**_I gotta fight with all my might_**   
**_I'm getting out, so check it out_**   
**_You're in my way_**   
**_And you better watch out!_****__**

**_Oh, come on!_**

Sloan released his grip. Then he went to snatch one of Eliza's arms. He grinned evilly as he closed his hand around the bandage that covered the wound he had given her in one of their previous encounters. Eliza's eyes snapped open and she let out a loud scream of pain as Sloan's grip tightened around her wound. She shook, her eyes closed tightly, her teeth gritting, the girl struggled to get free. The pain increased, and she screamed again. White hot pain....seering through her arm. It was not like anything she experienced before. The pain was so bad that it made her appendicitis pains feel like just a few sharp pricks. _'So..intense...pain so strong....' _She then felt something warm and wet coming onto her arm. But she knew all too well what it was. _'Blood.'_ She could feel blood seeping out of the bandage, running through Sloan's fingers and her arm, hitting the ground. 

"I just can't let you live." Sloan then raised the knife above the 12-year old's chest. Eliza opened one eye just in time to see the tip of the blade hovering above her. Sloan gathered up as much energy as he could in his arm, and then struck down, preparing to drive the knife through the girl's chest, ultimately killing her. 

"STOP!!" Bree cried out as she ran towards them. She roughly grabbed her husband by the hand and tried to pull him back. The man didn't answer or look back. He just turned around and pushed Bree down. But he made the mistake of letting go of Eliza's arm. The young girl saw this opportunity and made a run for it. Sloan growled deeply in frustration and glared at his wife. "Don't interfere!" Bree's eyes widened in fear and she backed away quickly. She could only watch as Sloan continued to chase Eliza throughout the temple._ 'Good luck, kid.'_

**_Don't judge a thing_**   
**_'Till you know what's inside!_**   
**_Don't push me, I'll fight it!_**   
**_Never gonna give in!_**   
**_Never gonna give it up, no!_****__**

**_If you can't catch a wave_**   
**_Then you're never gonna ride!_**   
**_You can't come uninvited!_**   
**_Never gonna give in!_**   
**_Never gonna give it up, no!_**

_'What do I do?! What do I do?!'_

The girl had this question ringing through her mind as she desperately tried to get away from Sloan, who was gaining on her. She could feel her legs weakening already. She had run for too long now. _'I need to rest. But I can't rest! He will catch me!'_ So she kept on running. She looked ahead. She was headed straight for the crevice again! She looked harder and did see a statue of what appeared to be a jaguar across the crevice. She might be able to make the jump. If she didn't, she'd be skewered. She picked up speed, and prepared to jump across the wide gap opening. 

They reached the edge. 

Eliza jumped. 

**_You can't take me_**   
**_I'm free!_**   
**_Oh yeah, I'm free!_**

She sailed through the air. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Eliza quickly grabbed the edge of the stone jaguar's mouth, and struggled to hang on. She tried climbing up, using her feet to push her up, but she just slipped back down. She was left dangling above the sharp rocks below. Sloan smirked evilly and jumped across as well. Being more athletic than she was, he cleared the jump too easily. He had landed on the jaguar's nose. He turned around and watched in amusement as he saw the small girl below him trying to pull herself up. She stopped when she saw Sloan above her, and she gasped. 

"Sloan?" She whispered, horrified. She watched as Sloan edged closer to her, knife in hand. 

"Hehehe...looks like this is the end of the road, kid!" 

Marianne and Nigel rushed into the temple. They found Debbie and Bree in there as well. They had followed Eliza because they knew she'd need some help. "Where's Eliza?!" They both asked in unison. Debbie quickly pointed in one direction, and soon they all watched as Eliza hung on for dear life. Marianne screamed in horror as Sloan suddenly grabbed Eliza by the same place where he had before; the arm with the wound. The seering white hot pain....the intensity..it all returned to Eliza. With tears of pain streaming down her face, she let out a sharp cry of pain. 

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" 

The scream echoed throughout the rocky formations and jungle around her. She quickly let go of her grip on the rock. The pain was too great for her. The blood once again flowed down her arm. Bree, Debbie, Marianne, and Nigel watched, terrified, as Sloan pushed Eliza further away from the edge, and hung her above the sharp rocks. "Goodbye, Eliza." He said mockingly and started to loosen his grip on the girl's hand. But he never looked at the skies. A storm was brewing up. The skies lit up, and a lightning bolt struck down. A blue bolt of power struck near where Sloan was standing. 

He screamed in surprise and let go of Eliza suddenly. Eliza screamed but to her luck, there was another flat edge jutting out from below the statue. She quickly grabbed it. She looked behind her. Sloan was slipping off the edge himself. She could hear his scream as he lost his grip and was starting to fall down towards the rocks below. She smiled in relief, and started to climb back up. 

But it wasn't over. She suddenly felt someone grip her ankle tightly. She looked down, and was horrified to see Sloan grabbing her leg! She tried to pull her leg free. But Sloan's grip was too tight. She gritted her teeth in pain as the grip tightened. "If I'm going down," She heard the man say, "You're coming with me!" He watched in morbid amusement as Eliza struggled to climb up. She couldn't possibly support both their weight. She could feel her grip loosening. She couldn't hang on for much longer. Her hands started to slip over the edge. Even when she was hanging on just by her fingers, she continued to try and pull herself back up. But Sloan's weight combined with her own weight was pulling her back. 

"No!" Her father shouted as they all gathered on the other side. They watched helplessly as Sloan started to pull Eliza down with him in the fall. They became frustrated that they couldn't do anything. "Eliza!" Debbie screeched. "Hang on!" 'Yeah, like that's gonna help.' She could tell that the girl couldn't hang on for long. 

Eliza could hear her family members. She knew they were watching. She couldn't give up. Not now! She had to try and hang on, for them. She started to pull herself back up, but slipped back again. Her hands twitched and ached in pain. She closed her eyes tightly. Her arms were getting too tired. There was no way she could hang on any longer. She shed a tear of sorrow and shouted to her family, "I'm sorry!" Then she lost her grip. She could hear her mother shout, "NOO!!" as she slipped over the edge and she and Sloan plummeted towards the sharp ground below. 

Nigel, Marianne, Debbie, and Bree rushed to the edge and looked down. The skies had gotten so dark that they could not see the bottom of the opening in the ground. They looked down sadly. Marianne buried her face in Nigel's shoulders. "She's gone....she's gone..." She whispered over and over again. Nigel comforted his wife. He wiped away a tear. "A brave young girl." Was all he could manage to say before breaking down himself. He'd never broke down before..until now. The emotional pain was too great for him to keep inside himself. Bree closed her eyes in regret. "I failed." She felt a hand touch her shoulder. She looked at the person next to her. It was Debbie. "No." She said. She let out a couple of sobs, then continued, "You tried your best, Bree." She removed her arm, and knelt towards the edge. "We all tried." She choked back a sob. "But we weren't fast enough...." She started crying out loud, not caring who saw her. 

"C-Come on, everyone. You, too, Bree." Nigel signalled everyone to leave now. Marianne hung onto her husband, refusing to let go, as if she'll lose him too if she did. Bree let out a sorrowful sigh, and stared walked with them. Debbie didn't want to leave. Not yet...they didn't even know if Eliza was gone or not. But it didn't seem that she would survive the fall. She took one good look at the crevice hole again, and then turned around and walked away. 

All of a sudden they heard something crack behind them. They stopped dead in their tracks and looked behind them. Debbie ran over and looked over the edge. She narrowed her eyes to get a better look. It was so dark she couldn't tell who or what made that noise. She peered closer, and saw the form of someone climbing back up. As the figure started to move from the darkness, Debbie could hardly believe her eyes. "ELIZA!" She screamed joyfully and reached down for her sister. Eliza had managed to grab onto a ledge and survived the fall! The girl, a bit torn and shaken, grabbed her sister's hand and struggled to pull herself up and came onto the edge. She shook her head, and brushed the dirt off of her. She looked up, and saw her parents rushing towards her, tears of happiness leaking out of their eyes. 

"Oh, Eliza!" Marianne screamed. 

"Eliza!" Nigel choked out, hardly believed what he was seeing. 

"MOM! DAD!" Eliza yelped as she felt them pick her up off the ground and pulled her into a tight hug. She coudln't blame them. They were worried sick about her. She hugged them back, though it hurt when she used her left arm. Sloan grabbing it had made it weak as well as hurt it. She winced in pain as she moved it. 

Bree Blackburn was quite surprised that the child survived the fall. She walked over to the parents and eyed the girl. Eliza glanced up and watched Bree warily, uncertain of what will happen next. The woman simply smiled. She then turned and walked away towards the edge. It seemed as though she was going to attempt to climb down. "Bree..." Eliza began to say, but her father interrupted her. "Let her go. She needs some time alone." Eliza nodded, but couldn't help but feel sorry for Bree as the female poacher started to climb down to find Sloan. _'Thanks for your help, Bree.'_ She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. 

Back on the bottom, Sloan groaned in pain. He had somehow missed every impaling object around him and landed in a small crater on the bottom of the wide gap. He was bleeding from a few cuts and scrapes, but was overall alright. He struggled to his feet. He coughed a few times. He looked up, and growled. He had seen Eliza grab an edge before he hit the ground. She must have survived! _'That accursed little girl..'_ He cursed in his mind. He stood up shakingly and almost buckled forward. He managed to hold his footing and limped towards one particular direction. There was an opening in the wall..a cave. He might be able to get out that way. 

_'Eliza..this is far from over!'_

Then darkness overwhelmed the area. Everything turned pitch black. 

Eliza believed the threat to be over. But that may be far from the truth...   
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Yeah, I rushed through this. I hope you liked this. This is the final chapter of Dangerous Game. Finally! It's over! I was struggling with what to do, then I watched Jungle Book 2. That gave me some ideas to use. Yes, as I said, some scenes are based on scenes from that movie. It was a good movie, yes. :) I don't really plan on a sequel. The reason why I left the cliffhanger is mainly to show that, as the movie title goes, evil never dies. Eliza is not out of the woods yet, but the story is over. Bye! I'll try to work on some other stories soon. 


	5. Silence Must Be Heard Music Video

This is just a music video for this story. The song is by Enigma. The title is "Silence Must Be Heard". I love this song. ^^ I just listened to it today. I'm kinda hooked on it. 

Anyway, here's the music video fic. ^^;; 

"Silence Must Be Heard"   
Music video of Dangerous Game   
DarkHououmon   
  
  
  
  
  


[Eliza woke up hearing the voices of her parents in another part of the comvee. They were discussing on something. She yawned a little, and attempted to get up, but realized she could not.] 

["And everything else you do know about." Eliza's eyes still registered that fear-filled look in them. "I still have no idea how he had found me." The lady nodded. As soon as she was writing down what Eliza had told her, she turned to the girl.] 

[Nigel was sounding even more determined than usual. His sudden outburst surprised everyone, including Bree Blackburn. Eliza walked up and stood next to Debbie. "What's going on?" She whispered softly to her sister. "We're trying to discuss what we should do to get Sloan."] 

["C-Come on, everyone. You, too, Bree." Nigel signalled everyone to leave now. Marianne hung onto her husband, refusing to let go, as if she'll lose him too if she did.] 

**_Look into the other's eyes_**   
**_Many frustrations..._**   
**_Read between the lines_**   
**_No words...just vibrations_**

["YOU WILL PAY DEARLY!!!" A horrible voice shouted from behind her. She turned around, and screamed when she saw Sloan Blackburn closing in!] 

[Eliza Thornberry ran for her life. She pushed against all the bushes and thrustle that blocked her path. She seemed to breathe faster than any cheetah could, and her mind was racing, panicking. She looked behind her to see the attacker. She could see nothing, but knew he was out there somewhere....] 

**_Don't ignore hidden desires_**

[She struggled to escape his grasp, but he pulled out a blade. A different blade...and held it up against her throat. Even though he wasn't pushing hard, she could still feel the sharp edge of the instrument cutting into her skin....] 

**_Pay attention!_**   
**_You're playing with fire!_**

["Hey Eliza?" Eliza turned towards the entrance of the room. Debbie was standing there, looking in. "Would you mind if I come in?" Surprised by this gesture, the girl nodded. Debbie sat down at her side. "Are you sure you're okay? You were cut up pretty bad. Who had done this?"] 

[Eliza did not want to hear that at the moment. She whimpered in fear. "He could come by here at night, and....and....." She shook terribly. Debbie wrapped her arms protectively around her sister.] 

**_Silence must be heard..._**   
**_Noise must be observed..._**   
**_The time has come that silence..._**

[Something chilled her spine right then. Not physically...mentally. She sits back up again, and looks around frantically. 'Must be my imagination.' She knew she had been wrong about that before, but she had to be right this time.] 

**_Silence must be heard!_**

[Eliza stirred in her bed, tossing back and forth. She was in the midst of a nightmare. Sweat poured from her forehead, and soaked the bed. She finally sprung awake. She seemed terribly frightened.] 

**_Or diamonds will burn!_**

[Debbie and Bree walked towards the corner to where Sloan was supposed to be. "You're going to take Sloan back to jail, right?" The poacher nodded, and smiled at the blonde. "You better...I don't want to..." "I know....and I understand." She looks at Debbie with a concerned look on her face. "I may be able to hold him off, but not for long. You'll have to take Eliza to the hospital to remove..." "WHAT? The hospital?"] 

**_Friendly cards will turn_**   
**_'Cause silence..._**   
**_Has the right to be heard_**

[The black-haired woman nodded solemnly. "Yes. I'm afraid it's true. That tracker gets a lock on Eliza within a radius of about 100-200 yards. I've tried to intercept it, but nothing I did worked."] 

["Let go of me!" Eliza managed to choke out as she tried again to get free. This time Sloan didn't do anything to stop her. He knew she wasn't strong enough to defend herself, so he pulled the blade away, and sliced into the comvee! The worried looks on Nigel, Marianne, and Debbie's face intensified as they watched Sloan slice a large hole right in the comvee.] 

["If you do, I'll kill her!" He started to back up towards the side of the comvee.] 

**_People talk too much_**   
**_For what they have to say..._**

[Eliza was still weak, but managed to say, "You....?" Debbie was still trying to say something, but the shock of the situation had made it hard for her to say anything.] 

**_Words without a meaning..._**   
**_They are fading away_**

["Bree?"] 

[Night fell on the camp area. All was silent....except for the surprised collection of gasps that had sounded out a few hours earlier. Inside the comvee, Bree knelt down in front of Debbie and Eliza.] 

**_Silence must be heard..._**   
**_Noise must be observed..._**   
**_The time has come that silence..._**

[Nigel was saying, "You were going to tell us why you came....weren't you?" He then noticed Debbie walking up the ladder. "Oh, hi, Debbie. Bree was just going to tell us why she..." "Yeah, so I heard." Debbie grumble angrily. Bree sadly looked at her, then clamped her hands together.] 

**_Silence must be heard!_**

[Bree shook her head, thinking about what other horrible things Sloan said, but decided to attempt to finish what she started to say.] 

**_Or diamonds will burn!_**

["Oh, you think that's gonna help you?" He asked coldly as he backed away from the edge, then came running back at an alarming rate. Eliza screamed and jumped back. She ran into the temple, which didn't have any roofs. This was a disadvantage; not many dark places to hide.] 

**_Friendly cards will turn_**

["Leave my sister alone!!" A teenaged feminine voice shouted out loud, then a blonde teenager grabbed Sloan's raised up and attempted to pull him back away. Angry, Sloan used his other arm to elbow Debbie hard in the stomach. She yelped and fell to the ground.] 

**_Cause silence..._**   
**_Has the right to be heard!_**

["DEBBIE!" Eliza screamed, watching in terror as Sloan pointed the knife at her big sister. Sloan had an evil smile on his face. He knew just what to do. This same trick worked before on her, and it will work again. 'She won't let anything happen to her big sister...even it if means her own life!'] 

[She pulled her hand free of the wedged rocks, and jumped forward. Startled, Sloan let go of Debbie, and she fell to the ground. Debbie looked up from her landing spot, and watched in astonishment as Eliza grabbed onto Sloan, who in turn grabbed both her arms to try to pry her off, but Eliza just wouldn't budge. She started to kick Sloan in the back as hard as she could.] 

[Marianne and Nigel rushed into the temple. They found Debbie and Bree in there as well. They had followed Eliza because they knew she'd need some help. "Where's Eliza?!"] 

**_Silence must be heard..._**

[She was about to look to see what it was, but then she felt a powerful sharp pain in her arm, and she gave out a loud scream of pain. She looked up to see Sloan with a wicked smile on his face, then look at her arm. To her horror, Sloan had pressed the blade into her arm! He pressed harder and Eliza screamed louder.] 

[The cutting edge of the blade was stained with her blood, red liquid dripping on the ground and on the handle. Some even got on the poacher's hand. She knew she was going to die soon unless something happened.....] 

**_Silence must be heard!_**

["Did you find Eliza yet? I want to ask her something!" Debbie's voice was heard across the comvee. It sounded like she was trying to enjoy herself. She knew of Eliza's secret, so she wasn't surprised she wandered out alone at night. She was surprised that she didn't take Darwin with her. ] 

**_Silence...._**

[She sucked in a deep breath. "All right, I'll tell you." Her parents looked at her expectantly. Reluctantly, she said, "It was....Sloan Blackburn." She heard her parents give a collective of shocked gasps.] 

**_Silence...._**

["But no matter...." He said, smiling darkly, "I will get her next time." He laughed loud and long, his cruel laughter being heard over a mile away. He then turned towards the camp again, with only one thing on mind. Revenge...] 

**_Silence...._**

["Are you sure you don't want me to come, Eliza?" Darwin jumped up in surprise when Eliza said she was going out on her own. Just to look around, that is. Debbie was surprised too. As Eliza and Darwin talked to each other, all Debbie would do was wait.] 

**_...must be heard...._**

[The teenager rolled her eyes. "Sure...whatever. But I'm only stalling for 2 hours, and that's it!" "Thanks! Bye!" The younger girl zoomed out of the door. Debbie growled a bit. "You better keep your word, Eliza..." She sat back down inside the comvee. She did begin to worry, but shrugged it off. 'What's there to worry about?'] 

[She stood straight up and was about to leave. She probably wasn't so long at all. Only a couple of minutes. 'Heh...guess I didn't have to tell Debbie anything.' She stepped backward to turn around, but that's when she felt the sudden chill again.] 

[Eliza shifted her gaze towards her back, and saw a tall shadow standing before her. She turned all the way around, and squinted to get a better look at the figure. "Don't remember me? Well maybe this will refresh your memory!"] 

["I've come back to take care of some....unfinished business." Eliza choked out, "Sloan!" Sloan smiled darkly as he reached into his pocket. He slowly pulled out something long and metallic. A blade...a different blade...] 

**_Silence..._**

[Eliza didn't stay. She gulped, and ran off towards the comvee. Sloan narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so....you can run but you can't hide!" With that, he turned and ran after the girl.] 

[Marianne and Nigel had just gotten word of the horrible news. They were discussing things in their own room. They didn't hear any sounds other than themselves. They didn't hear Sloan creeping down the ladder.] 

[Eliza knelt down by Darwin's side. The cut on his right leg was quite deep, but not as bad as the cut on her left arm. 'You didn't have to do that.' She nudged the chimpanzee to see if he would react. Nothing.] 

[Eliza pointed to where the hole was. "He ran out there. He told me that he'd be back...oh, Debbie, I've never been so scared in my life!" She hugged Debbie harder. Debbie found that she had a little hard time to breathe, but she hugged her sister back nevertheless.] 

["Debbie?" Came a small voice. Debbie was a bit surprised to see that Eliza was indeed okay. But the poor child was shaken up. She ran to Debbie and hugged her older sister, and started to cry out of fear.] 

[The blonde teenager grunted. "It still angers me that Sloan managed to find us so easily." "Yeah...he's terrific at sneaking in places and such. And as Eliza may know, he's also a master of disguising his true colors...as I was."] 

**_Silence..._**

[Bree looked to the ground, then met the parents' gaze again. "The other poachers who were with us...even they were horrified that Sloan ordered them to fire upon the elephants while Eliza was still down there..."] 

[Nigel was a bit disturbed by this. "So you mean to say that Sloan was the only one who...."] 

**_...must be heard..._**

[The female poacher woman nodded. "The only one who seemed to be willing to harm a child." She places both of her hands behind her back. "I just hope you don't mind if I stay a couple of hours...to you know....explain some things?" Nigel and Marianne exchange looks of uneasiness, then turned back to Bree. The man spoke. "Just as long as you won't do anything to harm us or our family." A nod was his answer. "Done deal."] 

[Nigel was saying, "You were going to tell us why you came....weren't you?" He then noticed Debbie walking up the ladder. "Oh, hi, Debbie. Bree was just going to tell us why she..." "Yeah, so I heard." Debbie grumble angrily. Bree sadly looked at her, then clamped her hands together.] 

[Eliza woke up hearing the voices of her parents in another part of the comvee. They were discussing on something. She yawned a little, and attempted to get up, but realized she could not. Not too good, anyway...her arm may have healed up a bit, but the flesh was still bruised.] 

["I just can't let you live." Sloan then raised the knife above the 12-year old's chest. Eliza opened one eye just in time to see the tip of the blade hovering above her. Sloan gathered up as much energy as he could in his arm, and then struck down, preparing to drive the knife through the girl's chest, ultimately killing her.] 

["STOP!!" Bree cried out as she ran towards them. She roughly grabbed her husband by the hand and tried to pull him back. The man didn't answer or look back. He just turned around and pushed Bree down.] 

["Don't interfere!" Bree's eyes widened in fear and she backed away quickly. She could only watch as Sloan continued to chase Eliza throughout the temple. 'Good luck, kid.'] 

[Back on the bottom, Sloan groaned in pain. He had somehow missed every impaling object around him and landed in a small crater on the bottom of the wide gap. He was bleeding from a few cuts and scrapes, but was overall alright. He struggled to his feet.] 

['How am I going to get out of here?' Eliza could feel her heart beating 3 times faster. She desperately looked around for something to get a grip on, or use against Sloan. But how would she be able to do that? Her arms were pinned!] 

[Seeing her opportunity, Eliza bolted straight towards camp, but to her shock, Sloan wasn't distracted for long...] 

[Sloan panted angrily as he dashed towards the escaping girl. "I'll get you, kid. You won't escape me this time! I'll make sure the job is done right!" He gave her the 'death' look as he started to catch up.] 

[Then darkness overwhelmed the area. Everything turned pitch black. Eliza believed the threat to be over. But that may be far from the truth...] 


End file.
